Operation Chlollie
by Tarafina
Summary: Clark knew that when Lois put her mind to something, there was no talking her out of it. Chlollie!


**Title**: Operation Chlollie  
**Rating**: T  
**Genre**: Romance/Humor  
**Pairing**: Chloe/Oliver, Clark/Lois  
**Summary**: Clark knew that when Lois put her mind to something, there was no talking her out of it.

**Operation Chlollie **

**1/1 **

"I want a new codename," Clark whined with a sigh. 

Lois rolled her eyes. "No!" she told him in a harsh whisper for the fifth time. 

He exhaled heavily. "I don't even know why we need them! But I hate mine!" 

She brushed the annoying branches of the bush in front of her out of her way. "I think it fits you!" She grinned. She really just loved it because he hated it. 

He was so close to her, she could feel his exasperated sigh at the nape of her neck. "It doesn't even make sense," he grumbled. 

"Shut up, Big Red!" 

He scowled. 

"What? You wear that red jacket all the time! Fashion sense much?" She rolled her eyes before peeking through the prickly bushes once more to try and spot who she was looking for. 

"You know _Bart'_s the one that likes her, right?" he asked, moving slightly so he was kneeling next to her. With his size, she was starting to wonder if he was even hidden behind the bush anymore. 

She frowned, looking over to him. "Hey, I like the kid. But he's just not Chloe material. He's not made for this family." 

He blinked at her. "You realize we're just trying to get them to realize they like each other, not get married, right? There's no certainty they'll even agree with your assessment!" 

_"Our _assessment. And they will! They just have to open their eyes to the inevitable!" She frowned at him. "And please, Smallville. Of _course _they'll get married. This is a foolproof plan. Step one, get them to see they like each other. Step two, make sure they know we're okay with it. Step three, force them to admit their feelings to each other. Yadda yadda yadda. Marriage, sweaty sex, lots of babies, Aunty Lois and Uncle Clark. Tada! 

He stared at her like she grew a second head. "Where do you come up with this stuff?" 

She shrugged. "Raw talent." 

"Very raw," he muttered, brow furrowed. 

"Hey! You're part of the team here, Big Red! Stop complaining and more spying!" 

Oliver and Chloe were currently taking the dog she'd convinced him to buy out for a walk in the park. They took a seat at a bench and Oliver threw a ball for Archer to run and get. As the dog gleefully crossed the green field before him, his owner turned to the blonde next to him to examine the papers she'd brought along. Lois rolled her eyes. Always working, those two. Still, this was a prime example of why the two obviously liked each other. There was no reason for Oliver to lean in so much! And did he _really _need to brush her hair off her cheek for her? Of course not! Lois grinned. 

They'd been doing this for months. It was what had tipped her off to the mutual attraction going untended to by the both of them. They were both adamant that they were only friends and that their feelings remained platonic, but Lois saw the heat between them and she wasn't about to let a good guy walk out of her cousin's life. Too often had Chloe been stuck with the losers or psychos or a mixture of both. And here was the perfect guy for her! He was leader of the freakin' Justice League – how was he _not _exactly what she needed? He was handsome, funny, intelligent, and worked hard. Yeah, there was no way Lois was going to let Queen slip away this. Sure he wasn't meant for her, but damn if he wasn't meant for Chloe! 

"I wish we could hear them," she muttered, thinning her eyes to stare at the unknowing couple as they spoke privately. Their lips quirked every once in awhile so she knew it wasn't all about work. Oliver turned away to take the ball from Archer and threw it again, far into the distance, grinning as the dog took off with great exuberance. 

"Can you read lips?" she asked Clark. 

He turned to her, his expression blank. 

"Right. Of course not." She shook her head. "Move over, I'll see if I can get anything." 

With a sigh, he moved around her, lumbering on his too long legs with his bulky upper body. She should date more cowboy types. If they were half as ripped as Clark, she'd be one happy woman. She squinted, biting down on her lip and trying to figure out what Oliver was saying to Chloe. "I need… your… help tonight." She wrinkled her nose in concentration. "You're not busy, are you?" She noticed Chloe shake her head but couldn't see her cousin's mouth at the angle she was in. "Good." She frowned. "Okay… He either said, bring the files or wear nothing but your smile." 

Clark snorted. 

She frowned at him before turning back. Oliver pushed Chloe's hair behind her ear for her once more and the side of her mouth was visible. "Turn," she whispered. "Little more. Come on…" She grinned. "Okay, and Chloe's saying… Thought we fixed that… problem last week." 

She turned her eyes toward Oliver. "We did. This is something else." 

"Where's you learn this?" Clark wondered rather suspiciously. 

"Shh." She stared at Chloe's moving lips. "Ooh, sounds dangerous. Should I break out the red leather?" 

"Lois!" 

"No really, she said that," she told him, eyes wide. 

He rolled his eyes, blushing slightly. 

"She meant her JL outfit, Clark. Calm down." She turned back to them once more and smirked. "I'll wear mine if you wear yours. And then Chloe said. 'Will whip cream be involved, because I don't want to stain mine. And then Oliver said, 'Of course there'll be whip cream. When isn't there?" She glanced at Clark from the side of her eyes and lifted a shoulder. "Fine, they didn't say that. But it's not completely unbelievable. I bet if they were together, that'd be something they'd totally—" 

"Lois," he interrupted, shaking his head to get her to stop. 

"Prude," she muttered. "Oh, they're leaving," she sighed, frowning. "Where do you think they'll go?" 

"To file a restraining order maybe," he murmured under his breath. 

"I heard that," she replied, ducking lower and grabbing his collar to force him down as the two walked by, Archer following behind them. They ran into a problem when the dog began sniffing around the bush. 

"Archie, let's go," Chloe called out. 

"I thought we agreed not to call him that," Oliver reminded, lifting a brow. 

"Archer is so stiff though. I like Archie," she replied shrugging before she clapped her hands together. "Come on Arch_er_," she said mockingly. "You want a treat? Huh?" 

"You spoil him." 

"That's why he loves me more." 

"Hey, I'm his master! He'll always come back to me!" he said, whistling to get the dog to return to his side. 

"Yeah well, it wasn't _my _Armani shoes he was chewing on the other day." 

Oliver glowered. 

Lois hopped up from the ground as they turned to walk down the street, completely oblivious to the presence of their friends. She wiped off her knees and looked at Clark with exasperation. "Come on, they're getting away!" 

"They're not criminals, Lois," he said, standing up with a sigh. "Remind me again why I'm doing this?" 

"Because," she said, grabbing his coat sleeve and dragging him down the street. 

There wasn't anything more interesting to see, however. They took Archer for a walk down the road, back toward QueenTowers, stopping for an ice cream, Oliver's treat, on the way. Lois made Clark hide behind trees and food stands as they tailed them, forcing him to buy them ice cream too when she noticed the strawberry was made with real fruit. Chloe's arm was hooked through Oliver's elbow and they continued to chat with each other during their leisurely walk, ignoring the outside world entirely. Lois couldn't read their lips unfortunately, but their body language said enough. He always watched her when she laughed; it made him smile. And she leaned into him whenever he said something she agreed with, her head falling against his shoulder for a moment. They stood closer than any normal friends would. She ignored the fact that she made Clark give her a piggy back twenty minutes into the walk. She wore heels; it wasn't her brightest moment! 

Given that there was nothing left to do when they returned to the apartment, she decided to call Chloe and let her know they were coming over. She acted as though she was fairly far away so not to blow her cover. And because of it ended up standing just outside of QueenTowers for a half an hour, using Clark as a cover from the wind. Finally, they entered the building and rode the elevator up to her ex's apartment. She breathed in and grinned as she smelled dinner cooking. She'd been staring at a hotdog vendor nearly a half hour, her mouth watering. 

"What's cookin'?" she called out, shrugging her coat off. 

"Nothing special," Chloe replied. 

Lois and Clark entered the living area and looked over to see Chloe at the stove and Oliver on the phone, leaning against the window and talking quietly. 

"Some chicken and rice," she told them as they entered the kitchen. 

Oliver hung up the phone and joined them. "Chlo makes the best chicken!" he said with a smile. 

"I'm guessing Bart's not coming to dinner," Clark mentioned, motioning to the four pieces frying away in the pan. 

Chloe shook her head with a slight grin. "Nah, he's somewhere in L.A. chatting up a red head." 

"Aww, has his long ignored affection for you waned?" Lois teased. 

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "He phoned to tell me that she'd never be as special, but he couldn't pass up a good thing." She chuckled. "I told him to go for it and I'd find a way to mend my broken heart." She rolled her eyes. 

Oliver leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest, staring down at the food for a moment. "Did you—" 

"Mix the mushrooms with the rice? Yes, I did," she said, smiling. "And I made salad too." Her brows knit as she glanced up at him. "You bought another, right?" 

"Yeah, I picked up the new dressing this morning. Three cheese ranch, right?" 

She nodded, winking at him in thanks. 

Lois and Clark exchanged looks. While Chloe still lived in Smallville, she spent a whole lot more of her time in Metropolis. Mostly in this very apartment. She and Oliver always said they were hard at work, but Lois knew that there was obviously a great friendship between them. They had so many inside jokes, she often just gave up on trying to understand them. 

"Mm, weren't you going to show Clark that thing?" Chloe asked absently. 

Oliver's brow furrowed for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, right." He stepped back from the stove, his hand briefly settling over Chloe's shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly before he motioned for Clark to follow him. 

"Grill him!" Lois mouthed to Clark. 

He furrowed his brow, shaking his head incomprehensibly. 

She rolled her eyes. "Grill him!" she repeated, this time in a slight whisper. 

"What?" Chloe asked, confused. 

"Huh? Nothing," she said quickly. 

Clark nodded at her in understanding and turned back to Oliver. 

"So…" Lois said, lifting herself up to sit on the counter and staring down at her younger cousin curiously. This was the time for stealth; too slowly integrate Oliver into the conversation and try and get Chloe to open up about her feelings. You and Oliver seem pretty close lately." Or… not. 

Chloe laughed slightly, glancing up at her in amusement. "Not this again, Lois!" 

"I'm just saying…" She shrugged a shoulder, eyes widening slightly. "What's the big deal? He's single, you're single. He's hot, you're, as Bart would say, super _fuerte_!" She chuckled. "And you guys totally work together." 

"Yeah, we do. We _work _together," she reminded, shaking her head as if to make Lois see sense. "He's my boss, my friend, and nothing more." 

"But he could be…?" she queried, eyes thinned. 

"No. And he _won't _be," she said, waving her spatula and Lois in a rather warning manner. "Leave it alone. We have a good working relationship going here. I don't want you messing it up!" 

"Moi?" she asked innocently as she hopped down from the counter. She leaned her chin on Chloe's shoulder and sighed. "I'm just looking out for you, lil cuz." 

"Well I'm fine. I don't need dating advice or any of your matchmaking skills." She glanced at her from the corner of her eyes. "I mean it, Lois!" 

She grinned back widely. "Come on, Chlo. You can't tell me you haven't thought about him naked!" 

"Lois!" Chloe shrieked, her cheeks tingeing pink and her mouth widening in a grin. 

"What's going on?" Oliver's voice called out as he reentered the kitchen. 

Chloe cleared her throat before rolling her eyes and taking up an indifferent expression. "Lois Is _determined _to make us 'see the light' and get together." 

"Is that right?" he asked, his mouth quirking slightly with amusement. 

"Hey, I call it like I see it. And I'm just saying…" She lifted her palms before pointing at them. "You two have something going on between you. Don't blame me if you two are too blind to see it." 

Oliver frowned. "Is that why Clark kept asking me if I was seeing anyone or interested in anyone?" 

Lois scoffed. "No stealth, that one." 

Chloe laughed, shaking her head. 

"So, what're you guys doing tonight?" Lois wondered, leaning casually against the fridge and examining the few pictures held up on it by weird little vegetable magnets. There was one of all the boys in the League and a picture of everyone with Chloe but not Oliver and then a separate one with just Chloe and Oliver catching the two of them laughing at the Kent farm one afternoon. 

"Tonight, just work," Chloe told her, flipping the chicken. 

"Nothing special?" 

Chloe turned her head, staring at her cousin funny. "What? You mean like a secret rendezvous we haven't told you about? Because we're secretly dating and didn't want to tell you," she teased. 

Clark entered the room looking uncomfortable. "You guys have been secretly dating?" 

Oliver and Chloe laughed while Lois simply shook her head. Operation Chlollie would take longer than expected; apparently they were still in denial about their feelings. For now, she'd just set the table and bide her time. 

A week later, Lois and Clark had scored themselves and invite to a big gala that Chloe and Oliver were going to. She'd been his date to a lot of events lately, stating that he just needed somebody more down to earth to keep him company. Please! He was just using it as an excuse to mask his feelings, of which he was still in denial of having. 

It was a little hard to stay hidden, but they managed well enough. Lois wore her hair down so she could use it to shield her face. Clark stood out like a blinking sign, constantly fiddling with his bow tie. But she'd just have to make sure he faced away from them. They were a little distracted at the moment anyway. Currently, they were doing a slow waltz out on the dance floor. They were so at ease with each other, it didn't seem entirely implausible that the two might sway and dance together often. Their hands entwined and their bodies meshed together as they talked in low whispers, eyes focused only on each other. 

Lois tipped her head to one side, watching their interaction avidly. Their heads were bowed closed than needed and Chloe's eyes wrinkled at the sides as she smiled and laughed at whatever it was Oliver was murmuring to her. Friends didn't look at each other like that. With adoration and awe and complete focus. His eyes seemed to wash over her face, taking in ever inch as if memorizing her. He wasn't giving her his subdued smile like he so often did, it was a full out Ollie grin. He didn't hold back with her. 

Lois tapped the mic in her ear, grinning slightly when she heard Clark mutter his irritation with her. She'd skimped them off her dad the last time she saw them and this was the perfect time to use them. Clark was currently trying to stay unnoticed on the other side of the room while avoiding the half-drunk debutante that kept smiling at him suggestively. 

"Ow," he muttered forcefully, letting her know he didn't appreciate what she'd done. 

She snickered inwardly. "You see what I see?" 

"A really large buffet equipped with funny looking shrimp?" he said quizzically. 

She really needed a new sidekick. With Chloe unable to work this case, she was a little low on prospects. 

"No…" she sighed. "I meant on the dance floor! Do you see sparks? I see serious sparks." 

"There's a fire?" he asked worriedly. 

"Oh my… Clark, I meant metaphorical sparks, between Oliver and Chloe." 

"Oh…" he muttered, sounding embarrassed. "Uh, I can't see them. There's this really big guy in my way and he's eating all the ham sandwiches." 

"Okay, stomach later, mission now!" she told him forcefully. "_Covertly _lumber you way toward the dance floor!" 

"On my way," he said. 

A moment later she was pretty sure she could see him between the crowds of dancing people. "You see?" 

"Uh yeah, is his hand supposed to be that low?" he wondered. 

Lois looked over and her brows lifted slightly at the way Oliver was cradling Chloe close to him, his hand half covering the small of her back while covering the top portion of her butt. She was pretty sure his thumb was stroking the sliver of skin shown above the rim of her dress as well. She snorted. "Not for friends it isn't." 

As the song ended, Oliver and Chloe left the dance floor, incepted shortly thereafter by a few people that looked like they wanted to talk shop. Lois wandered over to the buffet and snagged a handful of shrimp, washing the funny tasting seafood down with bubbly champagne. She frowned when she noticed all the good sandwiches were gone. What was up with the catering? Not everybody liked caviar and finger food! She'd give anything for a slice of pizza right about then. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for Oliver and Chloe only to find them chatting with an ancient looking couple. Their hands hung clasped together between them. Old money, she decided. They didn't look as stiff or uptight as most of the others she'd seen around. They were sincerely smiling as they talked with Oliver and Chloe, who looked as though they knew the couple quite well. 

She decided to venture closer, but turned so her face was hidden. She used a large man as a cover and tipped her head back to hear better. 

"So how is Archie doing?" the older woman asked. 

"You're encouraging others to call him that now too?" Oliver asked, turning slightly toward Chloe. 

She rolled her eyes. "It fits better." She smiled back at the couple. "He's adamant that we call him Archer, but he's so playful sometimes. He just feels like an Archie." She lifted a shoulder. "I bet if he was human, he'd have red hair and freckles." 

Oliver chuckled. "Big Archie comics reader?" 

"I always liked Betty better than Veronica," she informed him, lifting her champagne flute to her mouth. 

He smiled at her. "Me too." 

Chloe stared at him a moment longer than necessary before turning back to the couple. "Archie's doing great. We've got him off the puppy chow now." She lifted a shoulder. "He still prefers Ollie's shoes to his chew toys, but at least now it's his runners rather than his dress shoes." 

The woman nodded sagely. "Oh our Rosie used to chew on all of my good heels and then bury them in the backyard when they were unrecognizable." 

"Nuisance that dog," the man said in a rather gruff but fond voice. 

"And now she wants a cat," Oliver said, nodding his head toward Chloe. 

"I just think Archie needs a playmate!" she exclaimed with a small laugh. 

"He comes with me almost everywhere I go. I get a cat and you'll tell me we need another one just to keep it company!" he replied, chuckling. 

The older woman smiled gently at them, exchanging a look with her husband. "So, have you two realized what was there all along yet?" 

Oliver and Chloe looked over to them in confusion. 

"'Fraid not then," the older gentleman said. "Soon though. You'll see," he said, nodding at Oliver. 

"Cynthia! Is that you?" a rather shrill voice called out. 

The older woman standing next to Chloe shuddered ever so slightly. "Well, back to the hobnobbing, I suppose. We'll see you two later, I hope." 

"Of course," Chloe told her, nodding. "I still need to suss that peach cobbler recipe out of you!" she said, waving her finger and grinning. 

"Never, my dear," Cynthia replied before turning to her husband. "Come along Allen. You can talk to Jessica's fourth husband… Or wait, is it her fifth?" she wondered as they walked off toward the shrill, waving woman. 

"Come in Big Red?" Lois said as she walked away from Oliver and Chloe, following behind the large man and smiling at him as he looked at her funny. "You heard that right? I _told _you I wasn't delusional! Other people see it too!" 

"If I really thought you were delusional do you think I'd be doing this?" Clark sighed into her earpiece. 

She rolled her eyes, frowning as her stomach grumbled. "Hey, they bring out anything tasty to the buffet?" she wondered. 

He snickered. "Nope, just shrimp, cucumber sandwiches, shrimp, some weird jell-O thing, and oh, look, more shrimp." 

She broke away from the large man next to her, following a woman with a weird grey up-do and stopped next to Clark at the buffet. "Shrimp's all right, but did they really need this much?" she asked, picking up another handful and popping it one by one into her mouth. "You wanna hit up Pizza Hut after this?" 

"When's this over?" he wondered boredly. 

She shrugged. "Whenever they go home," she said, motioning to Oliver and Chloe across the room, talking with a few other people now. 

"Why are we here again? What is this accomplishing?" he muttered, disgruntled. 

"We need to keep an eye on them. I think they're starting to realize there's something there." 

"I think they're in as much denial as they were last week," he told her, picking up a carrot from the vegetable plate and dipping it into the ranch dressing. He chewed it on side and frowned at her. "And I think you just wanted to get dressed up!" 

She rolled her eyes. "Let's go dance. It'll get us closer and I can hear what they're talking about." 

"But—" 

She didn't wait for him to continue, instead dragging him out onto the floor. He wasn't a bad dancer; if her feet could survive four inch heels, they could get through his stumbling. Having the mic's so close, they tended to crackle, making her ears itchy. Her eye kept twitching and she was pretty sure at least six people had already decided she was mentally unstable. From hiding behind them to talking to seemingly a whole lot of air to her twitching eyes, she wasn't exactly making a good impression. Meh, she could care less. 

"Can we stop dancing?" Clark asked, shifting around funny. 

She looked up at him, frowning. "Why?" 

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I have to go to the bathroom." 

She rolled her eyes. "Sure. Go ahead. I'm going to try and get closer." 

He simply nodded, letting her go to make his way to the washroom. 

Once again, she found herself standing next to somebody she didn't know, using their girth to hide her. "Hey," she said, smiling slightly as they looked at her oddly from the corner of their eyes. 

"Didn't see you in Barabdos this summer, Queen," one of the men standing next to the focus of her attention said. 

"Got busy. You know how it is," Oliver replied. 

"Of course." He grinned roguishly at Chloe. "It's easy to become distracted by much more beautiful sights." 

"I've never been," Chloe told him, smiling slightly. 

"Never?" He looked toward Oliver. "Been slacking in the romancing area, eh Ollie?" 

Oliver smiled at him stiffly. 

"Oliver?" someone called and Lois turned to see a balding man waving him over. 

"Go ahead. I'll keep an eye on your date, promise." 

Oliver lifted his brow before turning toward Chloe. "I'll be right back." He squeezed her hand briefly before going to meet the man across from him. 

Lois frowned, watching as the rather handsome looking guy before her turned the charm on for Chloe. 

"Hot Fox to Big Red, if you're done, we have a situation," she said, tapping her earpiece. 

"Seriously, I want a new codename!" 

She rolled her eyes. "Now's not the _time _Smallville! We have a problem here!" 

"What?" he sighed. 

She glared at the man in front of her as he reached out and touched Chloe's upper arm, smiling. 

"Looks like someone's stepping up to the plate for a little Chloe action," Lois muttered. 

"Huh?" 

"Someone else likes Chloe!" she said, shaking her head. It was _so hard _to find good help these days. 

"Oh. Who?" he wondered. 

"I dunno. Some hot number with a really bright smile." 

She just knew he was rolling his eyes. "A little more specific? Name, how he knows here, something useful!" 

She sighed but walked over to Oliver who was no longer talking to the balding man, but standing alone, drinking his champagne. "Hey." He nodded to her in greeting, seemingly not surprised in the least that she was there. The perks of being a reporter she supposed. "Who's the hottie chattin' up Chlo?" 

He frowned. "Business associate." 

"Do they often steal your dates or is this a freak occurrence?" she wondered, smiling in a challenging way. 

He glared at her. "He's not _stealing _my date. Chloe is free to see whoever she likes." 

While his words said one thing, the way he was staring at the man said another. If looks could kill, they'd be ordering a body bag right about now. 

She grinned. "So you think she's leaving here with you or…?" She cocked her head to one side, lifting a suggestive brow. 

His eyes turned hard as he returned his gaze to her. "She's not his _type_," he told her crisply. 

She frowned, her eyes turning up sideways thoughtfully. "Beautiful, funny, interesting, independent, grounded—" 

"Risky, adventurous, too curious for her own good, exciting, magnetized to danger," he finished. 

"Ah, there are perks and downsides to the life." She shrugged. 

He simply turned back toward Chloe and the unsub as her cousin through her head back in a laugh, mouth lifting in a large smile. Her suitor reached out to brush a tendril of her hair from her cheek, grinning at her with interest. 

"Oh yeah. She's not his type at all," she mocked. 

He ground his teeth together and a moment later had his hand at the small of her back and was directing her toward the two. Confused, Lois went along with it, her brow furrowed. 

"James, I don't think you've met the lovely 

Lois Lane," he said, practically forcing her onto him. "Chloe, could you join me on the terrace?"

"Actually I was just—" James started but didn't finish. 

"Of course," Chloe interrupted. "Nice meeting you, James." With that, she reached out to wrap her hand around Oliver's forearm and followed the smirking billionaire away. 

"So…" James said, turning to Lois and smiling a disarming grin. 

She lifted a brow. "Yeah, sorry, James. You just got benched." With that, she turned and left, hand lifting to the mic in her ear. "Hot Fox to Big Red. Situation has been fixed. Targets are on the terrace." 

"Why are they called targets?" 

"Because," she said with an exasperated sigh. 

"I think you've been watching too much Criminal Minds." 

"Shut up," she told him, ignoring the way people were staring at her oddly. 

Seeing as she couldn't get a good view of Chloe or Oliver out on the terrace, Lois fell victim to her hunger once more and wandered back to the buffet. Clark on the other hand was weaving through the crowd in search of his two friends, hoping to see if maybe he could convince them to head home early so he too could get out of his monkey suit and get some sleep. Lois was exhausting when she was on the trail of… well, anything. She was adamant on getting Chloe and Oliver together though and Clark knew that when Lois put her mind to something, there was no talking her out of it. They'd been following the two around for over a week with no real breakthroughs on the "case." They still acted the same as they always did. Whispering and touching and hanging out more than just coworkers or even friends. 

He admitted, to himself but rarely Lois (mostly because he enjoyed saying she was wrong), that Chloe and Oliver obviously had something between them. He'd been noticing the little things between them; how Oliver touched her rather intimately. To brush her hair behind her shoulder or bandage up her wounds for her, wherever they may be. To wipe away the whip cream from her mouth when she drank hot chocolate or loop his arm through hers as they walked. They took a dog that was Oliver's but considered both of theirs for a walk nearly every day. When they weren't together, he noticed they were often on the phone with each other. They could finish each other's sentences or understand what they were talking about when nobody else did. And he hadn't missed the lingering looks Oliver passed her way. How when she licked her lips, he followed the movement with his eyes. Or when she smiled at him, he automatically smiled back. Or how when she laughed, he liked to watch her face brighten up. Yeah, even if Clark thought Lois' little covert plan to spy and get them together was a little weird, he knew that she was just looking out for her cousin. She could do far worse than Oliver Queen. 

He didn't want to think about what the future might hold if the two of them worked out long term. After all, Oliver lived in StarCity and really only visited Metropolis when he could. Did that mean Chloe would eventually move there as well? She'd already become a main fixture in the Justice League and her work at the Daily Planet wasn't as much as it could be. Her work ethic hadn't changed, it had just diverted to elsewhere. While Chloe was working hard to save the world, Lois was the one getting the bylines her cousin had always wanted. But there was no issue taken between the two cousins. Chloe loved her life as it was. Right next to Oliver Queen and his band of do-gooders. Clark wondered if he'd ever be apart of that. It was his choice and he still wasn't sure of what the outcome would be. He knew that what they were doing was great. A league of people to fight for justice in all its forms. But he and Oliver didn't always see eye to eye on how it should be served. He and Chloe, however, they were like joint partners in the grand scheme of things, and Clark wondered if perhaps one day she wouldn't be his sidekick anymore, but Oliver's. 

As he sidled past an older gentleman that had obviously had too much to drink, he could spot through the open doors, the terrace on which Chloe and Oliver stood rather close. He focused his attention on his hearing until it heightened and zoomed in to just the two of them, blocking out exterior noise. While Chloe stood gazing out at the beautiful gardens, her forearms resting on the rail, Oliver Oliver was staring at her, an oddly affectionate expression on his face. 

"I wish I had space for a garden," she told him rather wistfully. 

"You could use my roof area to build one," he offered with a small shrug. 

"Maybe I will," she said, nodding slightly. "I bet Archie would love it." 

"He's never going to be Archer, is he?" 

She laughed. "No." 

He shook his head, smiling. "Then I guess I should admit defeat." 

"Well, you can still fight it if you want, but you know I'll win," she said playfully. 

"You always do," he agreed with a small sigh. 

"Ew, I hate cauliflower," Clark heard in his ear and shook his head slightly to rid himself of Lois' voice. 

"That reminds me, don't touch the new cans of dog food you just bought," she told him, turning slightly. "I read the back, there's peanut oil in it for some reason." 

He nodded. "Never thought to check." 

"You're lucky you have me then," she told him, her mouth quirking one side. 

"No complaints here." 

She turned her eyes back toward the garden. "My feet are killing me." 

"I'll rub them for you when we get back to my apartment, just to thank you for gracing me with your presence tonight." 

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Hey, I'm not going to talk you out of it!" 

He grinned. "Because you know these hands work wonders!" he flirted. 

She turned toward him once more, her back leaning against the rail as she smiled up at him mischievously. "I've heard rumors of such a thing." 

He stared at her a moment, his humorous expression slowly dissipating. "You know, maybe Lois didn't have it all wrong." 

Her brow furrowed. "You're not talking about the dying my hair brown and going undercover as her for a week, are you? Because she definitely missed the mark on that one." She snorted. 

He laughed huskily, eyes turning off for a moment before he looked back at her seriously. "Actually, I meant more along the lines of us working out in a more… romantic atmosphere." 

She looked up at him with a grin. "Are you asking me out, Ollie?" 

"Depends on your answer, Sidekick," he replied, stepping a little closer. 

She quirked a brow. "I dunno. Will there be whip cream involved?" 

He grinned. "Eventually, yes." 

With a laugh, she nodded. And Clark watched as the two leaned down to kiss. Chloe's arms lifted to wrap around Oliver's neck, tangling in his hair, while Oliver's arms wrapped tight around her waist, lifting her from the ground slightly. The heat he'd seen boiling between them erupted noticeably as their mouths meshed together, tongues tangling. He could hear their heartbeats speed up and their gasping in between kisses. 

Operation Chlollie complete. 

"Hot Fox to Big Read – have you tried the shrimp? They're not sitting right with me," she complained. "And I think we need a new approach on Operation Chlollie. Something bigger. Maybe get everybody in on it." 

Clark rolled his eyes. 

* * *

**Author's Note**: _If I have time tomorrow morning, I'll try and post something before my friend comes in from out of town. Sorry, no Amorous yet. Hope you enjoyed this though! Reviews are sustenance readers! Luv yas - Fina!_


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